Radiators Tell me what you think (apartment, condo, houses)

[ToriaT]

Is there anything wrong with radiator heat? Not space heaters. I recall living in a few places with radiators and they were fine. Is it still possible to get them fixed? As I recall you can't have central air with them. And sometimes they would make a steamy noise. Pls advise.

[chet everett]

If you want central air and want to keep the hydronic heat you can use high velocity compact ducts or other systems inlcude "split units" which typically mount through the wall and then have a small compressor in the back yard.

Hydronic heat can be serviced by qualified technicians and if the source of the heat is a well designed high efficiency gas boiler can be economical.

[scotty40]

Yeah, hydronic (hot water) cast iron and baseboard radiators are nearly noiseless (assuming there is no air in the system).

Steam radiators are quiet when working as originally designed. The "steamy noise" you remember is probably from a malfunctioning radiator vent. That can sound like a tea kettle at full boil.

Steam systems rely on the slope of both the radiator and associated piping to drain water back to the boiler. Settling floors and piping can cause water to collect and cause a really disturbing hammer noise. We grew up with steam heat, the hammering noise would wake you out of a dead sleep...

We have cast iron hydronic heating now- we prefer it to forced air. Seems like my allergies were more of a problem in the houses we've had with forced air...

[Lookout Kid]

I had radiators in my condo for eight years. No AC there except for window units (vintage building near the lake). We moved in to a temporary apartment before we got our house, and it had gas forced air with central air. We hated it compared to the radiant heat we had become accustomed to. It was louder and more drafty, more dust, etc. We really missed our radiators!

We now have an old house with radiators and the high-velocity duct system for central air that Chet described, but with a more robust condenser and air handler. We love this combination. However, we do have an invoice from the previous owners that shows that they spent $22,000 to have the central air installed. Ouch! I know it can be done for a lot less, however (I've heard of systems being installed for under $15,000). We have a full-size air conditioner unit outside with a huge air handler in our attic.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

Is it still possible to get them fixed?

Yes, there are many many companies that service these systems. They are still quite common. You can still buy new components and boilers. It is far from obsolete, and they are still making advances.

Originally Posted by ToriaT

And sometimes they would make a steamy noise.

The steam systems (steam travels through the pipes) are usually noisier than the hot water systems (hot water travels through the pipes).

[ToriaT]

Thanks all.